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Chapters (102)
  1. Cover
  2. DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
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  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
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  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
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  88. 84
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  90. 86
  91. 87
  92. 88
  93. 89
  94. 90
  95. 91
  96. 92
  97. 93
  98. 94
  99. 95
  100. 96
  101. EPILOGUE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

And what if it has? she asked herself. What are we going to do if we’re all infected?

At least—if Raya Turnienko was correct—it wasn’t deadly.

Her thoughts returned to the image of Kim Yee being speared from behind and lifted into the night sky.

There were far more dangerous threats on Donovan than just a sick little boy.

54

The adults said science club was a way to keep the children’s minds off the terrible things that kept happening. For Felix, it was a relief. The notion that his father had been carried off in the night still wasn’t real. Didn’t matter that Mother just kept weeping, that she wanted to lay in bed and clutch Daddy’s pillow to her stomach. Kim had always been there. His smile, the delight in Kim’s brown gaze, filled Felix’s memory. He only had to close his eyes, and Father wasn’t gone; he’d be bent down on one knee to be on Felix’s level. Mostly the memories were on Crew Deck on Ashanti. Father was just always there. Telling Felix things, making him better when he fell, or got in trouble.

Or the times Father had taken him to Astrogation Control, or the hydroponics where they had to pass the horrifying hatch that kept the cannibals from eating people. Father had always made things better. More than Mother, he’d been a friend.

“Don’t be sad.” The Voice came every time Felix wanted to cry. And it was like a warm rush would fill his body. Even when he wanted to bawl like Mother was doing, the warm rush would dry his tears. The terror would just go away. In its place, Felix would feel blank. Not hurt. Not happy. Just blank.

Blank was okay. It was better than hurting, better than crying and feeling sorry that Father had been carried away by some flying thing in the night. Better than knowing he would never see Father again. Ever. Better than knowing Father was dead.

Sheena, of course, was delighted as Vik Lawrence led Felix, Felicity, Tomaya, and Breez up the forbidden stairs to the upper floor with its laboratories, com, clinic, and offices. Like downstairs, a central hallway ran the length of the building. At the far end was Michaela’s office, then the radio room as they now called communications. After that came the various labs, specimen rooms, the clinic, and the shops.

Vik led the way down the white hallway, the soles of her slippers tapping on the hard floor.

The woman wore a lab coat with a pocket that held her pad. Underneath she had on common coveralls.